b'BREEDING HISTORY / TOMATOExploring the innovations and breakthroughs of breeding throughout generations of plants.80,000 7,000 16th years ago years ago Century 1910 1934SMALLER TOMATOESTOMATOES WEREEARLY SEAFARINGCAMPBELLS BEGANHEINZ BEGAN ORIGINATE IN THEDOMESTICATED INEXPLORERS BROUGHT THETHEIR TOMATOBREEDING THEIR ECUADOR REGION. MESOAMERICA INTO WHAT ISDOMESTICATED TOMATO TOBREEDING PROGRAM. 57 VARIETIES OF NOW THE MODERN TOMATO. EUROPE. TOMATO.$705 million WAS THE AMOUNT VALUED OF FRESH TOMATOES IN THE U.S. IN 2019.THERE ARE10,000 VARIETIESOF TOMATOES WORLDWIDE. 340 billionIS THE NUMBER OF POUNDS OF FRESH AND PROCESSED TOMATOES CONSUMED GLOBALLY IN 2014.FATHER OF THE MODERN TOMATO:ALEXANDER W. LIVINGSTON,FROM REYNOLDSBURG, OHIO, DEVELOPED THE FIRST COMMERCIALLY SUCCESSFUL VARIETY OF TOMATO IN 1870, ACCORDING TO HEARTLAND SCIENCE.LA TOMATINA IS AN ANNUAL FESTIVAL IN SPAIN WHEREPEOPLE THROUGH OVER150,000 tomatoesAT EACH OTHER.Sources: USDA ERS, University of Illinois Extension, National Geographic and Heartland Science78/ SEEDWORLD.COMSEPTEMBER 2022'